


It's not if you believe.

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 18:50:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20532866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: Kayleigh takes Joan to visit her mothers grave. Joan continues a family tradition and reveals a secret.





	It's not if you believe.

" Thank you for doing this love" 

" You're welcome Joan, it's important to you so it's important to me, and will become important to her eventually " Kayleigh indicated towards the sleeping infant in the car seat .

" I know you'll think I'm being daft bu……"

" No you're not, I think it's lovely actually "

" Seriously?"

" Yes, seriously, it's a nice thought, a generational thing, John said that your gran did it, and possibly your great gran "

" Take the piss did he ?"

" He tried, but no one messes with the Redmond women" 

" Not even a Redmond man " Joan smiled.

" Especially a Redmond man " Kayleigh replied.

" Did he tell you where ?"

" It's in the Sat Nav "

" Good" Joan patted Kayleigh's arm " Good "

" We could do lunch too, I thought might find a nice pub nearby "

" That sounds lovely, a nice lunch with my daughter and granddaughter, that will be nice "

" I like you calling me your daughter "

" I like calling you it, because that's how I feel about you " 

" Shall we ?"

" Yes love we shall "

Kayleigh switched on the Sat Nav and the three Redmond women set off.

" How's things with your mum now love ?"

" Much better, since her and dad got back together she's a different person, I think she realises what she's missed over the years, sex included, they're at it more than me and John " Kayleigh suddenly remembered who she was talking to, " sorry you didn't need to hear that "

" Kayleigh I wasn't always the pensioner that I am today, I had quite a libido back in the day you know, I vividly remember those feelings of unbridled lust, it wasn't your generation that invented orgasms and g spots you know, so don't think it was lady, I've had my moments too, neither Martin or I were shrinking violets in that respect, so think on " Joan chuckled.

" You minx Joan , you total minx "

" Our secret mind "

" No Redmond men ?" 

" No Redmond men "

" Got it " Kayleigh said.

" I bet you did " Joan quipped. 

Kayleigh giggled and shook her head, she looked at Joan and saw her sitting with a huge smile on her face.

" My mum and dad both came from the village you know ?"

" John said they were…….." Kayleigh stopped.

" Country bumkins, by any chance ?"

" Aye, sorry "

" Don't be love it's him what said it, that's probably where he gets his build from, sturdy cattle folk " 

" Oh were they cattle farmers ?"

" No but John thinks they were " Joan winked.

" Why did they come to, I mean go to Manchester then ?"

" Ran away together "

" Really how romantic " 

" Did I not tell you the story love ?" 

" No " 

" I take it you'd like to hear it "

" I most certainly would "

" I told you they were at school together though didn't I?" 

" Aye you did " 

" They went to junior school together,but didn't really know each other that well, dad says that he noticed her around middle school, and by the time they went to high school he was madly in love with her, but she didn't really notice him, or so he thought " 

" So she had noticed him ?"

" Oh yes, he didn't have a clue though, kept him hanging on " 

" Were they from similar backgrounds?"

" Oh no , they were from very different backgrounds, my dad's family were shopkeepers, his dad was a green grocer, and his uncle was the local butcher"

" So it's in John's genes then "

Joan looked thoughtfully at Kayleigh for a while, then nodded.

" I suppose it is aye " 

" Mums dad was a gamekeeper, her mum was a waitress at the inn in the village "

" That's why John gets annoyed when people are rude to waiting staff, it makes sense now ?"

" My mum was quite poor, but dressed beautifully and had a bit of decorum,she was cultured if you like, my dad was well off, but as rough as a badgers arsehole "

" Joan !" 

" Well he was rough a sweet loving man, hard working and good to me my mum and my sisters though"

" That's the important part " 

" Aye,I suppose so "

" Anyway " Kayleigh said.

" Anyway they knew at sixteen, that they wanted to be together but both families said no they were too young, my grandad John , wanted my dad to become a green grocer like him ,or a butcher, but as soon as he was eighteen dad got a job on the ship canal, boat driver or something so he told my mum he would go to Manchester, build a life and come back for her,if she would wait . Well my mum was a strong willed woman, like me "

" Like you " Kayleigh nodded.

" She wouldn't have it, if he was going, she was going simple as. So one night they packed up and went to Manchester " 

" And the rest is history "

" Not quite, both mums came to get them"

" That must have been a shock them turning up ?"

" Not really , my mum was a clever woman, every day she set the table for guests, when they turned up a few days later, she said quietly, sit and have tea, as you can see I was expecting you, both women were impressed, and a little shocked, they didn't know how she knew, she kept them on the back foot. Eventually my gran ordered her to go home." 

" Don't stop there Joan " Kayleigh said after a pause, " then what happened?"

" My mum said I am home, and you can visit mine anytime you like mum, you'll always be welcome. My dads mum smiled at her and told her that she'd always be welcome in hers. My gran laughed , told my mum that she was the second most stubborn woman she had ever known, and she hoped her and my dad would be happy together, and that she expected regular visits, then the rest is history " 

" Second ?" Kayleigh said .

" Second what ?"

" Second most stubborn, who was first ?"

" My gran, she knew my mum was a chip off the old block,and arguing with her was pointless"

" You must miss her a lot?"

" This will sound strange love, I can't remember her very well when I try to, but occasionally things happen,or I'll do something and she pops back into my mind, I can't get myself to remember, but I know I'll never forget " 

Joan looked towards a silent Kayleigh. 

Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

" Look at you you daft bugger, it's me who should be sad, it were my loss "

" I feel it for you though mum, it must be terrible losing your mum , I don't think I'd cope "

" I was young love, that helped "

" In five hundred meters you will have reached your destination " 

" Nearly there " Kayleigh remarked turning the sat Nav volume down.

" No not nearly there, were nearly here ,there is where we came from love, here is where I belong "

Kayleigh parked in the small gravel car park, and got the car seat out of the Qashqai , Joan retrieved a bunch of long stemmed lilies from the boot.

" Ready love ?"

" She's still sound " Kayleigh said nodding towards the sleeping infant, "let's go Joan "

The two Redmond women walked slowly up the slight incline, the expansive views to the north only blighted by the ubiquitous wind farm, the smell of pine in the air from the surrounding evergreens.

" That's her " Joan pointed slightly forwards and to her right .

The black Marble headstone was clean and tidy, some long dead flowers lying strewn around it.

" So that's your mum, Sarah Cotton nee Whitehead " 

" And my gran Emily Whitehead nee Moir , and my great gran Elizabeth Smyth " 

" I bet they were all formidable women in their time " Kayleigh said idly.

" Like me you mean ?"

" Oh no Joan I ………."

Joan patted Kayleigh on the shoulder,

" It's okay love I know what you mean" 

" So you've brought all the kids here, to meet your mum ?"

" John , Paul , Sophie and Ben, Claire was asked but it wasn't really her thing she said" 

" Her loss " Kayleigh said.

" My mum brought me and my sisters Anne and Patricia to see her mum, and she reckons according to Anne anyway that her mum brought her here, all those years ago to see what would have been her gran " 

" Elizabeth? " 

" Aye love Elizabeth "

" I think it's lovely, and now Holly gets to meet her, the latest in a long line of strong independent women, I hope " 

" Of course she will be, look at her role models eh ?"

" Big boots to fill "

" Hello mum, brought you a visitor today, two in fact , our John's lovely wife Kayleigh, a wee slip of a thing she is, bit daft marrying into us lot right enough, but a welcome addition, hope you can see your way to looking after her like you do wi the rest eh mum, keep her safe in this bad world, look down on her and give her a bit of a shove now and again if you can eh ?..And we brought the newest of the family too mum, a little baby, a little Redmond girl , your great granddaughter, Holly Redmond, she was a Christmas baby mam, and she's gonna be a little cracker " 

Kayleigh lifted Holly from her chair and showed her off proudly to the headstone.

" See her mum , gorgeous isn't she, you look after her now, make sure she is happy , okay mum "

" That's so touching Joan " Kayleigh said sniffing.

" Can I have a minute alone please love, just me and mum ."

" Of course " Kayleigh kissed Joan's cheek and walked back to the car.

A few minutes later Joan got in .

" You okay Joan " Kayleigh patted her arm. 

" I'm fine thanks, let's find that pub eh ?"

" Aye "

" You know sometimes I think talking to mum like that and asking her to help is a bit stupid " 

" It's not if you believe " Kayleigh smiled.

" Last time I went was three years ago I asked her to help John " Joan turned and looked at Kayleigh " I asked her to fix his broken heart, to help him find love, that was the week before car share started "

" That was coincidence surely?"

" It's not if you believe " Joan smiled as Kayleigh shrugged and started the car.

" Not if you believe "


End file.
